Past Simple vs. Present Perfect - Everything you need to know in 1 table!

How many of you get frustrated with Past Simple vs. Present Perfect revisions, discussions, tests...? Although Past Simple has always been this cool, logical, straight-forward past tense all of us know from our own mother tongues, Present Perfect seems to be its evil twin brother. Sometimes it's about the past, sometimes it's about the present; sometimes you need a specific context and sometimes you must use it and that's it - no questions asked, no answers given.

Today I've put this tricky tense (I've used 'I've put' - who can tell me why? ;)) in a table and hopefully you'll understand once and for all when you really need Past Simple and when you should go for Present Perfect.

You can get the printable version (with the answer key) by clicking HERE.

Past Simple
Present Perfect Simple
Construction:

I bought a car last week.

I didn’t buy a car last week.

Did you buy a car last week?
Construction:

I’ve bought a car this week.

I haven’t bought a car this week.

Have you bought a car this week?
Usage:

1. For actions that happened in the past. The time of the action is finished and important.
Ex: She didn’t eat anything yesterday morning.
2.Past states and habits.
Ex: I never woke up before 8.00 in those days. (habit)
Ex: I lived and worked in Portugal when I was younger. (state)
3.Actions that happened in the past one after another.
Ex: I came back home, ate dinner and went to sleep.
4. When we mention people who are no longer with us.
Ex: Princess Diana was the mother of William and Harry.
Usage:

1.For actions that are finished but the time of the action is not finished.
Ex: She hasn’t eaten anything this morning.
2.Actions that are finished but the time of the action is not important or not clear.
Ex: I’ve recently moved to London.
3.To give news; to tell people about new things that have happened.
Ex: A plane has crashed at Heathrow Airport.
4. For past actions with still visible effects.
Ex: Anna has broken her leg. (It’s still in plaster)
!5.For actions that started in the past but continue now.
Ex: I have loved my husband since we met in 1995.

! In this usage we normally we use non-progressive verbs in Present Perfect Simple and progressive ones in Present Perfect Continuous.

Examples of non-progressive verbs: love; like; know; be; want; seem; own; have; see; etc.

I haven’t seen Peter for ages. – Present Perfect Simple

I’ve been studying a lot recently. – Present Perfect Continuous.
Key words:
yesterday; last...(month, year, Monday); ....(2 years, a week)ago; for...(a week, a year); when…?
Key words:
this... (week, year, summer);
recently; lately; just; already; ever; never; yet; before
for ... (periods of time, ex: a week, a day, 5 hours, 5 years)
since... (particular moments in the past, ex: Monday, 2010, May, the party, I met you)



 Quiz Time! 
                                         

Present Perfect vs. Past Simple & Present Simple

Choose the correct option:

I have worked / worked / work in this company for 5 years now.

Where were you / have you been all day yesterday?

When have you got / did you get married?

I’ve already/yet done it.

I went/ have gone to Australia 3 times before.

Michael Jackson was/has been the biggest star of his generation.

My family lives/ has lived in France.

How long have you worked/ did you work/ do you work here?

You look awful! What happened/ has happened?

I didn’t look/ haven’t looked for a new job since I found/ have found this one.

We’ve been friends for/since a long time.

I didn’t see/ haven’t seen this film before.

She has just / still bought a new car.
Location: Fleurier, 2114 Val-de-Travers, Suisse

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